The VA has a "Duty to Assist" to find your private records, but they often fail. Don't leave your financial future in the hands of a fax machine. Learn how to gather your civilian medical records yourself.
You have two choices: Ask the VA to do it (Form 21-4142) or do it yourself. The data shows a clear winner for speed and accuracy.
You sign Form 21-4142. The VA faxes a request. If the doctor doesn't reply in 30 days, the VA stops trying. High risk of missing evidence.
You walk into the office, get the file, and upload it. You verify 100% of the diagnosis is there before the Rater sees it.
Private doctors often charge huge fees for "Medical Records Requests." Use the HITECH Act to bypass this.
Under the HITECH Act, if records are digital (EHR), you have a right to get them digitally (CD, Email, Portal). Do not ask for paper.
This request is for YOU (the patient), not a lawyer or insurance company.
Pro Tip: The fee is capped at a "reasonable cost" (often ~$6.50 flat rate).
Once you have the PDF file, save it to your computer. Do not modify it. It needs to remain an original copy.
Don't mail your records. Don't even use the standard VA.gov claim tool if the claim is already submitted. Use the direct intake portal.
Records uploaded here appear in your file within days, not weeks.